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Still Waters 21,366

Britain's critical national infrastructure could be crippled in a high-altitude space attack by a rogue state or terrorists, MPs have warned.

A nuclear device detonated up to 500 miles above the earth's surface could generate an electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) with a "devastating" effect on power supplies, telecommunications and other vital systems, the Commons Defence Committee said.

It warned that countries such as Iran - which is resisting international pressure to end its nuclear programme - and even eventually some "non-state actors" could acquire the technology to mount such an attack, in a scenario akin to the plot of the 1995 James Bond film 'GoldenEye'.

Terrorists could also build a "crude" non-nuclear EMP weapon, with the power to cause disruption over a more limited area.

But despite the vulnerability of the UK to such an attack, the committee accused the Ministry of Defence of appearing "complacent" and "unwilling to take these threats seriously".

Manfred von Dreidecker 27,376

t despite the vulnerability of the UK to such an attack, the committee accused the Ministry of Defence of appearing "complacent" and "unwilling to take these threats seriously".

Perhaps because all these things seem to come into a simialr category to the Mayan Prophecies; they're always so vague, and what should they be expected to do about it anyway? Pre-emptively attack all Rogue States and Non-State Actors, just in case?

("And the award for best Non-State Actor goes to....")

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and then 19,810

Abyssus Abyssum Invocat

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"evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their RIGHT, it is their DUTY to throw off such Government and to provide new Guards"

Perhaps because all these things seem to come into a simialr category to the Mayan Prophecies; they're always so vague, and what should they be expected to do about it anyway? Pre-emptively attack all Rogue States and Non-State Actors, just in case?

("And the award for best Non-State Actor goes to....")

I think the issue is more about hardening or shielding critical systems from being fried by these pulses. Hospital and emergency power grids/communications and such. ultimately no way to stop such an attack beyond better antimissile technology. One thing sure - if the pulse works as well as expected we'd be in one sorry state for a long time. Horse and buggy anyone?

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Mr Right Wing 576

I think the issue is more about hardening or shielding critical systems from being fried by these pulses. Hospital and emergency power grids/communications and such. ultimately no way to stop such an attack beyond better antimissile technology. One thing sure - if the pulse works as well as expected we'd be in one sorry state for a long time. Horse and buggy anyone?

To protect against EMP damage electronics needs to be located inside a Faraday Cage.

While that isnt a problem for the military civilian systems are wide open for an attack. An EMP would knock out power supplies, destroy home consumner electronics, fry business computers and erase bank financial records. With electronics being so wide spread its impossible to protect the nation from this kind of attack.

I remember the blackouts in New York and London a few years back. I suspect that was our Governments running preparation exercises. If it did come society would be set back decades.

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keithisco 3,650

To protect against EMP damage electronics needs to be located inside a Faraday Cage.

While that isnt a problem for the military civilian systems are wide open for an attack. An EMP would knock out power supplies, destroy home consumner electronics, fry business computers and erase bank financial records. With electronics being so wide spread its impossible to protect the nation from this kind of attack.

I remember the blackouts in New York and London a few years back. I suspect that was our Governments running preparation exercises. If it did come society would be set back decades.

Most home electronics are protected this way anyway - to prevent radiation from leaking OUT and interfering with other electronic systems.

It is actually very easy to protect all electronic devices from high energy EMP's, not expensive at all. At its simplest, a Faraday cage is chicken wire wrapped around the item you want to protect and strongly earthed. No mystery, no Rocket Science required. There again, if you are really concerned just make your equipment electrically neutral, and bleed off the charge later.

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aquatus1 7,062

It is actually an option being offered more and more regularly by contractors, to line the walls with chicken wire inside the drywall. There is a bit of conflict between that and the IT guys, for whom setting up a Wi-Fi system is made more difficult by this.

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"evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their RIGHT, it is their DUTY to throw off such Government and to provide new Guards"

It is actually an option being offered more and more regularly by contractors, to line the walls with chicken wire inside the drywall. There is a bit of conflict between that and the IT guys, for whom setting up a Wi-Fi system is made more difficult by this.

I can imagine! In MRI suites the cage is a little more refined. They use a fine copper mesh in the walls and ceilings but the sensitivity to RF is the issue there. Telemetry devices as well as radios and cell phones are a no go in these areas.